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en-AUDortmund star Reus in new injury scareMarco Reus limped out of Borussia Dortmund's DFB-Pokal tie on Tuesday to prompt further concerns over the Germany international's fitness.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/dortmund-star-reus-new-injury-scare
Borussia Dortmund face an anxious wait to see if Marco Reus is set for another lengthy stint on the sidelines after he limped out of Tuesday's DFB-Pokal clash with Dynamo Dresden.
Reus, who signed a new long-term contract with Dortmund last month, had to be helped from the field in the first half of the last-16 tie due to an apparent injury to his left knee.
The 25-year-old has been plagued by injuries in recent times and was forced to miss Germany's 2014 World Cup success after tearing ligaments in his left ankle.
He subsequently suffered similar problems in September and November last year, leading to further lay-offs.
Following Reus' latest setback, the German Football Association (DFB) tweeted a 'get well soon' message to the forward.news_articleTue, 03 Mar 2015 20:36:02 +0000354542 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comGuardiola committed to Bayern amid City rumoursBayern Munich head coach Pep Guardiola intends to fulfil his contract with the Bundesliga leaders, despite reports of a move away.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/guardiola-committed-bayern-amid-city-rumours
Pep Guardiola has no intention of leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season, despite speculation linking him with the Premier League.
The Spanish coach is currently enjoying his second campaign in the Bundesliga, with leaders Bayern eight points clear at the top of the table and still in the DFB-Pokal and UEFA Champions League.
Reports in England have suggested that Manchester City are monitoring his availability should they opt to replace Manuel Pellegrini.
Guardiola, however, insists no contact has been made between the two clubs and that he fully intends to honour his contract with Bayern.
"I have one-and-a-half years left on my contract," he said. "We will sit together in the summer [to discuss a current extension]. Then we'll see.
"This is an outstanding club. I want to complete this contract.
"I have not had any offers [from Manchester City]. I am waiting for nothing."
Bayern can move a step closer to defending their DFB-Pokal triumph under Guardiola last season when they host Eintracht Braunschweig in the last 16 on Wednesday.news_articleTue, 03 Mar 2015 15:36:01 +0000354404 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comHoffenheim boss wary of rising expectationsHoffenheim coach Markus Gisdol is concerned with increased expectations among fans and the media ahead of Tuesday's DFB Pokal tie.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/hoffenheim-boss-wary-rising-expectations
Hoffenheim cannot continue to improve at their current rate, according to coach Markus Gisdol, as the Bundesliga team prepare to face second-tier Aalen in the DFB Pokal.
Aalen will host Hoffenheim on Tuesday with a spot in the cup quarter-finals on the line and Gisdol is wary of a fixture he predicts will be "hard fought".
From the start of November, Hoffenheim lost eight of 11 Bundesliga matches but have gone unbeaten in their past three league games, overcoming Stuttgart and Mainz, plus earning a draw at Freiburg.
But Gisdol is concerned the expectations surrounding his side could be setting Hoffenheim up to disappoint.
"Expectation levels amongst fans and the media have risen. For some, picking up a point in Freiburg or finding life tough against a buoyant Mainz side isn't enough," the 45-year-old said on Monday.
"Improvement can't continue at this rate forever, but we have an aim for the cup game: We want to progress to the next round."
While Aalen sit in the relegation zone in the 2. Bundesliga, Gisdol is not taking success for granted ahead of Hoffenheim's trip to the Scholz Arena.
"Perhaps it's Aalen's biggest match of the season, I think it's going to be a tight, hard fought match," he said.
"Our players will not know as much about their direct opponent as they do in the Bundesliga. There are some players in Aalen's squad that we don't know a lot about, which makes it tougher.
"After the recent rainfall, it's going to be a difficult and very heavy pitch to play on as well."
In Tuesday's other DFB Pokal fixtures, Borussia Dortmund will travel to Dynamo Dresden, Bayer Leverkusen will host Kaiserslautern and, in the only all-Bundesliga clash, Freiburg take on Cologne.
Freiburg and Cologne are separated by just three points in the top flight's standings, with the former second-last in the Bundesliga.
They are also set to play again in the league at the start of April but Cologne coach Peter Stoger rubbished suggestions he might tailor his line-up at Freiburg's Schwarzwald Stadion to focus on Bundesliga survival.
"I don't care if it's a cup, league, or a final, we approach each game one at a time," he said.
"And we are fully focused on the opponent in front of us."news_articleTue, 03 Mar 2015 05:36:01 +0000354111 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comStuttgart, Freiburg named in doping claimsResearchers at the University of Freiburg have claimed doping took place at German clubs Stuttgart and Freiburg in the 1970s and '80s.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/stuttgart-freiburg-named-doping-claims
Researchers have claimed that a study carried out at the University of Freiburg shows the presence of doping at now-Bundesliga clubs Stuttgart and Freiburg in the 1970s and 80s.
A research programme into historical doping allegations shows, according to the university's Evakuierungskommission Freiburger Sportmedizin, there was "systematic misuse of steroids in German professional football".
As well as the German Association of Cyclers, Stuttgart and Freiburg were both implicated, although both clubs say they are yet to receive the full contents of the report.
Freiburg said in a statement they were "only in hand of the two documents having been published - one press release and one abstract" and that they had not seen "detailed results of determination or expert’s reports".
Similarly, Stuttgart said: "VfB Stuttgart is not in hand of the mentioned report.
"The club therefore can't retrace the evidence basing the accusation or know if and to which point they are true."news_articleMon, 02 Mar 2015 20:21:01 +0000353908 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comKlopp looking to maintain momentumBorussia Dortmund are hungry for DFB-Pokal success this season as they look to maintain momentum, says coach Jurgen Klopp.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/klopp-looking-maintain-momentum
Jurgen Klopp will not make many changes for Borussia Dortmund's DFB-Pokal trip to Dynamo Dresden as his resurgent side look to continue their recent upturn.
Saturday's 3-0 derby win over Schalke was Dortmund's fourth successive Bundesliga win - a run that has lifted them away from the relegation zone and within eight points of the fourth and final UEFA Champions League qualification spot.
Klopp has been pleased with their charge up the table, and wants to ensure they keep their run going in the cup on Tuesday.
"I do not think it makes sense now to think about rotating," said Klopp. "Those who can [play], will play if they fit into the plan.
"We are not overloaded [with games], and in the cup we have given a good image in recent years.
"This year we want not only to get to Berlin, but when we are there, to win this time."news_articleMon, 02 Mar 2015 14:36:01 +0000353742 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comSubotic rejects Serbia call-upRadovan Curcic will not have Neven Subotic available for Serbia's Euro 2016 qualifier with Portugal after the defender rejected a call-up.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/subotic-rejects-serbia-call
Neven Subotic will not make his international return with Serbia this month, coach Radovan Curcic has revealed.
The Borussia Dortmund central defender has not featured for his country since 2013, when he expressed his frustration at their failure to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.
Subotic has since suffered a serious knee injury, but has nevertheless made 15 Bundesliga starts for Dortmund this season.
Discussions with Curcic – and Serbian Football Association vice-president Savo Milosevic – took place after Dortmund's 3-0 win over Schalke on Saturday, yet the 26-year-old will not feature in Serbia's squad to face Portugal in Euro 2016 qualifying later this month.
"After a sincere dialogue, it is clear that Subotic is not ready to return at the moment," said Curcic. "The talk with Subotic was just one of many with those who lead the many potential teams.
"The match against Portugal is almost upon us and to me it is important to know which players I have so I can prepare for the upcoming duel.
"Serbia has several options in all places and it is up to me to choose the best one for achieving our ambitions."
Subotic has left the door open to feature for his country again, but will first focus on overcoming any doubts about his troublesome knee.
"It is still important to work on a full recovery from the severe injuries that I had last season that saw me take a nine-month break from football," he said.
"It is true that I came back and am playing, but still I do daily exercises to strengthen the knee.
"Additional engagement around the national team at this point would not be the best option for my condition."news_articleMon, 02 Mar 2015 11:51:01 +0000353652 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comHecking furious with Wolfsburg defenceWolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking was frustrated with his side's first half but hailed their response in their 5-3 win over Werder Bremen.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/hecking-furious-wolfsburg-defence
Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking revealed his team's first half performance against Werder Bremen made him "furious" but applauded the way they fought back to win 5-3 on Sunday.
Bremen moved ahead of Wolfsburg on three occasions before half-time at the Weserstadion in an open Bundesliga encounter, which was labelled "wild" by Hecking.
The home side hit the front in the ninth minute through Zlatko Junuzovic before Daniel Caligiuri equalised immediately, while Franco Di Santo's 16th-minute goal was also cancelled out promptly by Maximilian Arnold.
An own goal from Wolfsburg's Vieirinha saw Bremen lead 3-2 at the break.
Hecking warned his side they cannot afford to defend against higher-quality opposition like they did on Sunday.
"I told them: two goals after - what was is it? 15 minutes? - That's too much," Hecking said at his post-match media conference.
"And you won't find the way back into the game when you play against...better teams. Werder did us a favour, they left us space that we could take advantage of but normally the game is over.
"That is something that makes me furious so I'm not able to be happy that we won the match."
Wolfsburg took control of the match in the second half with in-form striker Bas Dost notching a brace before setting up Wolfsburg's fifth goal to Caligiuri.
"It really was a wild game with lots of long shots - too many, in regards my team," the 50-year-old said.
"That was not the way I wanted them to play and that's what we discussed during half time - that we have to play with more combinations, have more ball possession.
"Then we got back on the pitch and showed an incredible performance you can hardly defend as an opponent. We showed paramount pace and scored great goals."news_articleMon, 02 Mar 2015 05:21:01 +0000353493 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBundesliga Review: Wolfsburg edge eight-goal thriller, Monchengladbach winBas Dost took his tally to 12 goals in seven Bundesliga games as Wolfsburg edged an eight-goal thriller 5-3 against Werder Bremen on Sunday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/bundesliga-review-wolfsburg-edge-eight-goal-thriller-monchengladbach-win
Bundesliga entertainers Wolfsburg were at it again on Sunday as they came from behind three times to edge an eight-goal thriller 5-3 against Werder Bremen.
After sharing nine goals with Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month, second-placed Wolfsburg were again among the goals as they continued an impressive Bundesliga campaign.
An action-packed opening 20 minutes saw Zlatko Junuzovic and Franco Di Santo twice give Bremen the lead, only for Daniel Caligiuri and Maximilian Arnold to level things up.
A Vieirinha own goal saw Wolfsburg behind again before the break, but a rampant start to the second half killed off Bremen's hopes.
Two goals in three minutes from Bas Dost – taking his tally to 12 in his last seven starts – gave Wolfsburg the lead for the first time, before Caligiuri's second wrapped up an exhilarating encounter.
Borussia Monchengladbach occupy the final UEFA Champions League spot after restoring their four-point advantage with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Paderborn – a result that keeps the latter in the relegation play-off place.
Fabian Johnson's low shot in the 18th minute broke the deadlock for the hosts, the midfielder evading two challenges before firing home from the edge of the penalty area.
Victory was assured nine minutes from time when Patrick Herrmann – with the aid of a deflection – doubled Monchengladbach's advantage with a volley into the bottom corner. news_articleSun, 01 Mar 2015 18:51:01 +0000353220 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comHeldt apologises after Schalkes derby humblingSchalke general manager Horst Heldt issued an apology to fans after Saturday's derby drubbing against Borussia Dortmund.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/heldt-apologises-after-schalkes-derby-humbling
Schalke's 3-0 Ruhr derby defeat against Borussia Dortmund was so bad that general manager Horst Heldt felt obliged to apologise for it.
The visitors collapsed in the final 12 minutes at Signal Iduna Park as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marco Reus all got on the scoresheet.
"It was simply a collective failure," Heldt told the club's official website. "We can...only apologise to our fans. We had no chance and have not shown to some extent what we can do.
"That is why the disappointment of defeat...is very large.
"Actually, it was a miracle that it was 0-0 held so long. It was a very bad performance. Overall it was a very bitter day for us."
Roberti Di Matteo's side are now winless in four in all competitions, but still sit fourth in the Bundesliga.
news_articleSun, 01 Mar 2015 10:21:01 +0000352990 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBatman and Robin a bit of fun - ReusBatman and Robin brought a bit of fun back to Borussia Dortmund, attacker Marco Reus said.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/batman-and-robin-bit-fun-reus
Borussia Dortmund attacker Marco Reus said his Batman and Robin celebration with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was to bring some much-needed fun back to his team.
Jurgen Klopp's men were battling in the relegation zone throughout the first half of the season but Saturday's 3-0 win over Schalke marked their fourth straight victory in the Bundesliga.
Aubameyang's goal, which made it 1-0 in the 78th minute, led to Batman and Robin masks being produced as the Gabon international and Reus celebrated.
Reus said the intention was to bring a bit of light back at Dortmund after their struggles this campaign.
"We always try to have a bit of fun - there wasn't a lot of that in the first half of the season and things like that always do you good. It was just meant as a little joke," he was quoted as saying by the Bundesliga website.
"We had a meal together two days ago and that's when we came up with the idea."
Aubameyang explained how his translator helped him execute the celebration.
"Massimo, my translator, helped me. At the beginning of each half he hid the bag behind the opposition goal and that's where I got it [the cape] from," he said.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Reus also got on the scoresheet as Dortmund struck three times in the final 12 minutes.
Reus urged his team to stay focused, sitting 10th and now just eight points off fourth spot.
"A month ago we were talking about being in a relegation battle," he said.
"I think it's good we've pulled away from there now but we're just taking things one step at a time and we've now won four straight matches, which is very important.
"At the moment things are going well but we've got some really tough games coming up.
"If the teams above us in the table drop points, of course we'll try to catch them up, but there's a long way to go."news_articleSun, 01 Mar 2015 04:51:01 +0000352865 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBundesliga Review: Derby win for Dortmund superheroes, Leverkusen go fourthThere were derby heroics from Borussia Dortmund - and a celebration to match - while Bayer Leverkusen moved up to fourth in the Bundesliga.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/bundesliga-review-derby-win-dortmund-superheroes-leverkusen-go-fourth
Borussia Dortmund continued their recent resurgence with a dominant 3-0 derby win over Schalke in the Bundesliga.
Jurgen Klopp's team found themselves in unlikely relegation trouble a month ago but their fourth consecutive league victory moves them up to 10th in the standings - just eight points adrift of the fourth UEFA Champions League qualification spot.
Dortmund controlled the 146th Revierderby for long periods but had to wait until 12 minutes from time for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to open the scoring - the Gabon international then producing Batman and Robin masks for himself and Marco Reus to embark upon a memorable celebration.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan was on target from Ikay Gundogan's cross soon after, and an error from Schalke's otherwise-impressive rookie goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther allowed Reus to complete the scoring.
Derby disappointment for Schalke, combined with a late Salomon Kalou winner condemning Aubsburg to a 1-0 loss at Hertha Berlin, allowed Bayer Leverkusen to move up to fourth.
Midfielder Simon Rolfes converted Karim Bellarabi’s low cross to score the only goal of the game against lowly Freiburg in the 33rd minute.
Basement boys Stuttgart edged closer to Freiburg immediately above them by sharing a 1-1 draw with Hannover.
Christian Gentner moved Stuttgart towards the victory their survival prospects desperately needed but Lars Stindl produced a calm finish to bring the hosts level.
Stindl could not extend such coolness to a late altercation with Martin Harnik that saw both players sent off.
Hamburg are perched a point and a place above the bottom three after Alexander Meier scored a goal in each half to guide Eintracht Frankfurt to a 2-1 win.
Zoltan Stieber equalised before half time for Hamburg but the away team were forced to struggle along with 10 men after Matthias Ostrzolek was shown a red card.
Eintracht lie eighth - a place below Hoffenheim, who were 2-0 winners over Mainz.
Goals from Kevin Volland and Eugen Polanski meant a first defeat for Martin Schmidt as Mainz coach.news_articleSat, 28 Feb 2015 21:51:01 +0000352706 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comKlopps perfect afternoonJurgen Klopp was delighted with Dortmund's win over bitter rivals Schalke, singling out Henrikh Mkhitaryan for particularly high praise.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/klopps-perfect-afternoon
Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp could not hide his delight at watching his side earn a deserved 3-0 win over local Bundesliga rivals Schalke in the 146th Revierderby on Saturday.
A dominant performance was not rewarded until 12 minutes from time, when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang slotted home the opener following a defensive error.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan added a second just a minute later, before young goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther was caught in possession by Marco Reus, allowing the Germany international to roll the ball into an empty net.
The result extends Dortmund's winning streak in the Bundesliga to four games and leaves them eight points outside of the Champions League places.
"It was an absolutely perfect afternoon and a really great game for my team," Klopp told Dortmund's official website.
"From the first to the last minute we looked good with the ball, moving into the right places and showed outstanding counter-attacking pressing.
"In the first half we had plenty of chances, but unfortunately we couldn't convert them.
"It was important for us not to show any nerves and we finally made a breakthrough after 77 minutes."
While there was no shortage of impressive individual performances from his team, Klopp was particularly keen to praise the contribution of Armenian playmaker Mkhitaryan.
He added: "I think that everyone wanted to jump on him when he scored. He had a really great game.
"It was the best game I've seen him play for Borussia Dortmund."
However, despite the euphoria of a derby victory, Klopp insists there is still plenty of work to do for his team.
"When I look at the table, we are still only five points clear [of the relegation zone], even though we have won four games in a row," he continued.
"This shows what kind of situation we were in and where we still are. We must not let up now." news_articleSat, 28 Feb 2015 19:21:01 +0000352612 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBorussia Dortmund 3 Schalke 0: Late show seals dominant derby winBorussia Dortmund strike late three times to see off local rivals Schalke in the Bundesliga.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/borussia-dortmund-3-schalke-0-late-show-seals-dominant-derby-win
Borussia Dortmund extended their Bundesliga winning streak to four games with a deserved 3-0 win over bitter rivals Schalke in the 146th Revierderby on Saturday.
A dominant first half at Signal Iduna Park saw Dortmund create a number of chances, but they could not find a way through.
The home faithful may have feared a frustrating stalemate, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was on hand 12 minutes from time to pounce on a defensive error and slot home, before Henrikh Mkhitaryan converted Ilkay Gundogan's cross to make the result safe.
Having made a string of saves earlier in the match, 19-year-old goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther's first taste of the Ruhr clash was soured as his dawdling in possession gifted Marco Reus Dortmund's third.
The result sees Dortmund's recent recovery continue, while dealing a blow to Schalke's UEFA Champions League qualification ambitions, with Roberto Di Matteo's men having mustered just one win in their last five Bundesliga outings.
Di Matteo spoke of his excitement at experiencing his first Revierderby as Schalke boss in the build-up to this contest, but his side struggled to get going early on.
The hosts should have taken the lead after just three minutes but Wellenreuther stood firm after Shinji Kagawa released Aubameyang, while Nastastic was on hand to save the teenager when the Japan international lobbed goalwards.
Reus saw a stinging low drive tipped just wide of the post by a full-stretch Wellenreuther as Dortmund's pressure intensified, with Roman Neustadter on hand to head a crashing 25-yard strike from the winger onto the crossbar, before Aubameyang poked wide following the resulting goalmouth scramble.
Chances continued to flow, but Dortmund still could not find breakthrough, with Reus again lashing wide just before half time.
The second half continued in much the same vein, with Reus firing wide yet again before forcing another fine save from Wellenreuther eight minutes later after latching on to Nuri Sahin's defence-splitting pass.
Wellenreuther was called up again on 67 minutes to deny Mkhitaryan angled drive, but he could do nothing to prevent Dortmund finally getting the breakthrough 12 minutes later.
A free-kick was not cleared fully, allowing Mkhitaryan to pounce and tee up Aubameyang to slot home from close range.
That goal opened the floodgates, with Mkhitaryan getting himself on the scoresheet on the end of Gundogan's superb cross from the right.
Wellenreuther's rick presented Reus with a goal his effervescent display deserved, giving Dortmund fans full bragging rights, and their team a place in the top half of the table.news_articleSat, 28 Feb 2015 17:06:01 +0000352522 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comGuardiola satisfied with Cologne victoryPep Guardiola was pleased with his players after Bayern Munich moved 11 points clear in the Bundesliga with a 4-1 win over Cologne.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/guardiola-satisfied-cologne-victory
Bayern Munich head coach Pep Guardiola was left satisfied with another victory after his team's 4-1 defeat of Cologne at the Allianz Arena.
The reigning Bundesliga champions had scored 14 goals in their previous two league outings, and they looked in the mood for another heavy win on Friday as they went 2-0 up inside 10 minutes courtesy of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Franck Ribery.
However, Cologne pulled one back on the stroke of half-time through Anthony Ujah, and the striker would have levelled after the interval had it not been for a fine stop from Manuel Neuer, who also kept out Marcel Risse from the resulting corner.
Those saves proved to be crucial, as Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski completed another routine win to move Bayern 11 points clear at the summit of the Bundesliga.
"I'm happy. We beat the side with the second best record away from and scored four goals," Guardiola said.
"Manuel Neuer made two great saves at key moments. They are a very, very, very difficult opponent. We started well. Then we lost a bit of control.
"After the 3-1 goal by Arjen it was a completely different game again. We dominated again."
Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer echoed the sentiments of Guardiola.
"We were very impressive in the first 25 minutes," he said.
"You have to pay compliments to Cologne. The fact that we almost went 2-2 must not happen to us.
"They have played to their strengths, but we are pleased that we won."news_articleFri, 27 Feb 2015 22:36:01 +0000352084 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBayern Munich 4 Cologne 1: Champions move 11 points clearBundesliga champions Bayern Munich moved 11 points clear at the top of the table with a routine 4-1 win over Cologne on Friday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/bayern-munich-4-cologne-1-champions-move-11-points-clear
Bayern Munich extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to 11 points with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Cologne at the Allianz Arena.
Pep Guardiola's side had thumped Hamburg 8-0 and thrashed Paderborn 6-0 in their last two league outings, and it looked as though Cologne were on course for a similarly heavy defeat on Friday when Bayern went two up inside 10 minutes.
Bastian Schweinsteiger headed in from a corner in the third minute before Franck Ribery struck a fine individual effort, and Cologne fans could have been forgiven for fearing the worst.
However, the side with the second best away record in the league - behind only Bayern - rallied and halved the deficit through Anthony Ujah's header in first-half stoppage time.
Ujah had a golden chance to equalise shortly before the hour, but Manuel Neuer produced a fine save to preserve Bayern's lead, and the hosts pulled two goals clear again with Arjen Robben's header midway through the second period.
As Cologne pressed to get back into the game, they left themselves open at the back and Robert Lewandowski added a fourth with 15 minutes remaining to cap yet another dominant performance from the German champions.
Bayern applied early pressure and were in front inside three minutes as Schweinsteiger - back in the side as one of two changes - rose unchallenged to power in Robben's left-wing corner.
And Bayern did not have to wait long to make it two, as Ribery cut in from the left hand side and arrowed a low shot into the bottom left-hand corner from the edge of the box.
Another rout appeared to be on the cards but, on the stroke of half-time, Cologne pulled one back as Ujah leapt to head home Matthias Lehmann's right-wing cross.
The home side began the second half as they had the first, and Thomas Muller was wasteful in heading Rafinha's cross off target in the 55th minute.
Against the run of play, Cologne almost found an equaliser three minutes later when Slawomir Reszko broke free down the left and squared for Ujah, whose cushioned effort was superbly kept out by Neuer.
The Bayern goalkeeper had to be alert again from the resulting corner, diving to his right to parry substitute Marcel Risse's well-struck shot.
Bayern seemed stunned into action by those near misses, and restored their two-goal advantage in the 67th minute as Robben headed Ribery's chipped ball back across goal and just inside the far post.
The hosts then netted a fourth on the break as Robben crossed for Lewandowski, who was able to chest the ball in from practically on the line.
Robben and Mario Gotze both went close to making the final margin of victory more convincing, but in the end it mattered little as Bayern were able to celebrate the 115th anniversary of their formation in style.news_articleFri, 27 Feb 2015 21:36:01 +0000352050 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com